Gate-operating device.



' G. SMITHSON.

GATE OPERATING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED J LY 3, 1911.

Patented July 23, 1912.

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GATE OPERATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION rlLnnmLYa, 1911.

Patented July 23, 1912.

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Q/Vibmaooeo CHARLES SMITI-ISON, OF WINCHESTER, ILLINOIS.

GATE-OPERATING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 3, 1911.

Patented. July 23, 1912.

Serial No. 636,585.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES SMrrHsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVinchester, in the county of Scott and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gate-Operating Devices; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in gate operating devices.

One object of the invention is to provide 5 improved means whereby the gate may be unlatched and opened and again closed by any one approaching on horseback or in a vehicle without alighting.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which will be simple, strong, durable and inexpensive in construction, efficient and reliable in operation and well adapted to the purpose for which it is designed.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the gate in closed position; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the gate in open posit-ion; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the gate in closed position; and, Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the gate operating lever, and upper end of the hinge post.

Referring more particularly to the draw- 4 ing, 1 denotes the hinge post, 2 denotes the latch post and 3 denotes the gate hinged to the post 2 as shown.

My improved gate operating mechanism comprises a combined latch releasing and gate operating arm 4 which is of right angular form and is pivotally mounted on the hinge post adjacent to the inner end of the gate as shown. The free end of the arm 4 is connected with the gate by a latch releasing and gate operating bar 5 which is pivotally and adjustably secured to the outer end of the operating arm 4 preferably by bending the end of the bar 5 downwardly and engaging the same in one of a series of apertures in the end of said arm. The bar 5 is bent laterally and downwardly and has its laterally bent portion slidably mounted in a guide eye 5' secured to the gate near its top. The downwardly extending end 6 of the bar 5 is loosely and adj ustably connected with the inner end of the latch bar 7 the outer end of which is slidably mounted and has a slight vertical play in a suitable guide 7 secured to the adjacent side of the gate whereby when the arm 4 is actuated to open the gate the bar 5 will first be retracted thus causing the lower end of the portion 6 to retract the latch bar from engagement wit-h a suitable keeper 2 arranged in the latch post 2. In the laterally bent portion of the bar 5 are arranged stop pins 8 which when the bar is reciprocated engage the opposite sides of the guide eye 5 thus limiting the reciprocating movement of the bar.

Hinged at its lower end to one side of the hinge post 1 is a gate opening and closing lever 9 said lever preferably having a bifurcated inner end provided with bearing apertures adapted to receive the shaft or pintle 9 of the hinge connection, said pintle having its ends engaging bearing eyes 9 arranged in the post as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. By thus attaching the lever, a broad substantial bearing or c0nnection is provided for the same. On the outer end of the lever is arranged an operating weight 10' the object of which will also be hereinafter described. The lever 9 is connected with the gate operating arm 4 by a link or connecting rod 11 whereby the move ment of the lever is imparted to the arm 4. The end of the rod 11 which connects with the lever 9 has formed therein an eye 11 which is engaged with a screw eye 11 arranged in the lever as shown. By thus attaching the rod to the lever a loose connection'is formed which will permit the rod to move freely in all directions. The opposite end of the rod 11 is preferably bent downwardly at an angle and threaded, said threaded end being inserted through one of the apertures in the end of the arm 4 and having arranged thereon a nut whereby the rod is pivotally secured to the arm.

Arranged on the hinge post 1 is an upwardly extending offset bearing bracket 13 in the upper end of which is revolubly mounted a pulley 14. Secured to one side of the lever 9 adjacent to its outer end is an operating cord 15 which passes around the pulley 14 and from thence extends back parallel with the side of the road and passes through a guide aperture in the upper end of a supporting post 16 as shown. Connected with the opposite side of the lever 9 adjacent to the connection of the cord 15 is a second lever operating cord 17. The cord 17 extends in an opposite direction from the cord 15 and is loosely engaged with a guide aperture in the upper end of the supporting post 18 arranged a suit-able distance from the hinge post as shown.

By constructing and arranging the gate operating mechanism as herein shown and described it will be seen that when either of the cables is pulled it will swing the gate operating lever 9 upwardly. In moving upwardly the lever 9 will, through the connecting rod 11, swing the gate operating arm l around in the proper direction to actuate the bar 5 which will first withdraw the latch bar 7 and then swing the gate. In opening or closing the gate, the lever 9 is drawn upwardly by the pull of either of the operating cords, 15 or 17, until the rod 11 and arm 4 are very nearly in the same vertical plane and the gate is started to open or close. The momentum of the gate will then carry the arm 4 beyond the dead center which would exist if this arm and the rod 11 re mained in the same vertical plane.

The operating cord is released and the lever 9 permitted to drop back under the influence of the weight 10. In thus dropping the lever will pull back on the rod 11 and thus continue to move the rod and the arm 4 in the same direction thus causing the gate to be swung to a fully open or closed position. lVhen the gate is swung to a closed position in the manner described the end of the latch bar 7, which has vertical play in the guide 7, will engage the beveled outer surface of the keeper 2 on the latch post, thus lifting the outer end of the latch bar and permitting the same to drop into the notch of the keeper when the gate has reached a closed position. By arranging the latch bar as herein shown and described it may be readily lifted out of engagement with the keeper and the gate swung open by a person walking, without actuating the gate operating mechanism herein described. When the gate is swung to an open position it is brought into engagement with a short stop post 19 arranged in proper position along the side of the road as shown. If desired, I may, in addition to the weighted arm, provide a coiled spring 20 to assist the weight in the opening and closing of the gate, said spring being connected at one end to the top of the hinge post and at its opposite end .to the arm 4 adjacent to the connection of the rod 11 therewith. By thus arranging the spring it will be stretched during the initial opening or closing movement of the gate by either of the operating cords 15 or 17, and when said cords are released the spring will assist the weighted lever in completing the closing or opening movements of the gate.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of constr ction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention claimed.

lilavingthus described my invention, what I claim is: t

1. The combination of a gate post, a gate hinged to the front thereof, a weighted lever hinged to one side of the gate to swing vertically, an arm pivoted to the opposite side of the post to swing horizontally, a rod con-! necting the arm near its outer end with the weighted lover, a sliding latch bar, means for connecting the arm with the latch bar and a spring for reinforcing the action of the lever secured at one end to the arm and, at the other end to the post.

2. The combination of a gate post, a swinging gate hinged thereto, a gate operating lever hinged to the post on one side to swing vertically, a weight on the outer end of the lever, a gate operating arm pivoted to the opposite side of the post to swing horizontally, a connecting rod having a loose connection at its outer end with the gate operating lever and at its inner end with the gate operating arm, a latch bar slidably mounted on the gate, a combined latch releasing and gate operating bar slidably connected with the operating arm and its opposite end connected with the latch bar whereby the latter is retracted to an inoperative position prior to the opening movement of the gate, and means to primarily actuate the lever.

3. In a gate operating mechanism, a hinge post, a weighted operating lever hingedly connected to said post, a gate opening and closing arm pivotally connected to said post, a connecting rod to connect said lever with said arm whereby the latter is actuated by the lever, a latch bar slidably mounted on the gate, a gate operating bar having a limited sliding connection with the gate, said bar having its outer end connected with the outer end of said operating arm and having on its inner end a downwardly extending portion pivotally connected to the inner end of said latch bar, a bracket secured to said hinge post, a guide pulley revolubly mounted in the upper end of said bracket, cord supporting posts arranged at a suitable distance from said hinge post, and operating cords connected to said lever and extending through said cord supporting posts, one of said cords passing around said guide pulley whereby when either of the cords are pulled, said lever will be actuated to release said gate latch and start the opening of the gate.

4. In a swinging gate a hinge post, a weighted operating lever hingedly connected to said post, a right angular operating arm pivotally connected to the opposite side of the post, a latch bar arranged on the gate, a combined latch releasing and gate operating bar connected at one end to said operating arm and having its inner end projecting downwardly and connected to said latch bar, a guide eye arranged in the gate and adapted to receive and slidably connect said bar with the gate, stop pins arranged in the bar on opposite sides of said eye whereby the sliding movement of the bar is limited, a connecting rod having a loose connection at one end with said weighted lever and at its opposite end with said operating arm whereby the weight of the lever is applied to the gate to complete the opening and closing movement thereof, a suitably arranged spring connected with said operating arm and adapted to form additional means for completing the opening or closing movementof the gate, and means to liftsaid lever whereby the latter is caused to actuate said arm and gate operating mechanism to release the latch bar and start the opening or closing movement of the gate.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES SMITHSON. Witnesses:

JOHN W'. HOPPER, t W. M. ANDERs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

